


The Question

by Strawberry_Champagne



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 01:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2251290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawberry_Champagne/pseuds/Strawberry_Champagne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flynn and Yuri had been through a lot together. The next step for them was obvious, wasn't it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Question

A brisk autumn breeze came through the window of Flynn’s room. Seated on the floor, the Commandant pored over a large map detailing the mission that he would lead the next day. He ran his index finger along the territories they would be defending, placing markers on the last known locations of the creatures that had been terrorizing the area.

Yuri watched him for a moment before spinning into another sword fighting stance. The fresh air felt great—he savored the feeling of it playing across his skin and whipping his hair around as he swung his sword into imagined enemies.

“If you break or damage anything, it comes out of my pay,” Flynn reminded him, not looking up from his intense study of the map.

Yuri rolled his eyes, jabbing a few inches away from a tall, carved bedpost. “Is that all you’re worried about? Come on, this crap is as stuffy as you.”

“Yuri, some of this so-called ‘crap’ is several hundred years old.” He looked back, then, a longsuffering expression on his face. Yuri grinned.

“Yeah, point taken.”

Retrieving the sheath from where he had tossed it, Yuri put away his sword and propped it against the wall beside the window where he could easily grab it on the way out. He walked back to where Flynn had returned to his workaholic ways, sliding to the ground beside him. It earned Yuri a brief glance, and then those blue eyes were scanning the map again. He huffed an annoyed breath, which got precisely zero reaction out of the man.

“Ah,” said Flynn, his finger jumping from the page and breath catching when Yuri lightly nipped him on the ear. There, that was more like it.

“You’ve been at this for over an hour. Time for a break, don’t you think?”

Flynn reached over and intertwined his hand with Yuri’s, but shook his head. “I need all the preparation that I can get. We leave at dawn tomorrow and only found out about the situation earlier today. And I do need to get a full night of sleep, as well.”

“Man, you’re no fun.” It wasn’t entirely true, but he had to tease him a little. Just the way things worked. “A few minutes won’t hurt anything.”

And then his hair was swept away from his face, lips pressed against his in a kiss full of the affection and familiarity of a long relationship. They had been together for almost three years now, though Yuri felt things had been simmering between them for about as long as he could remember. The line between friends and lovers had blurred pretty easily.

Yuri didn’t push his luck with trying to turn Flynn’s concession into anything less innocent—the guy was way too stubborn about his knightly duties. He deepened the kiss just enough to make things interesting until they separated a few moments later.

“Hm,” said Flynn, regarding Yuri fondly. “Remind me, how do I get any work done when you’re at the castle so often?”

“You always manage somehow.” Yuri winked. “Besides, I’m not over here _that_ much.”

Flynn snorted. “You practically live here. Anyway, I really do need to finish this.” He swept his hand across the map, a frown tugging at his lips. Great, he was going back into brooding-Commandant mode.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll leave you to it, then.” Snatching up his sword, he had one foot on the windowsill when he stopped, tilting his head as a thought occurred to him. He stepped back down.

“Why don’t I?”

The words hung in the air for a moment as Flynn snapped back into the present, his gaze shifting to where Yuri stood. “What?”

“You said it yourself, Flynn. I’m basically here whenever guild business doesn’t keep me away. I only sleep at headquarters when you’re off on some mission.” Yuri shrugged. “So, yeah. Why _don’t_ I live here?”

Flynn blinked at him for a moment. Then his mouth twisted a little, as if he were conflicted, and Yuri felt a stab of some unnamed emotion, wondering if it had been wrong to impulsively ask like that. He shook it off, waiting for a response.

“It’s not that simple,” said Flynn. “The short answer is that you can’t.”

“Can’t,” Yuri repeated in an even tone. “As in…”

“It’s a rule. Imperial law, to be exact.” Flynn looked up at the ceiling. “You’re not allowed to live in my quarters with me.”

Yuri laughed, though there was little mirth in it. “You’ve got the rulebook memorized, don’t you?”

“I try to have a base of knowledge concerning the regulations that seem relevant,” said Flynn, sounding almost defensive.

“Uh huh.” Yuri placed his hands on his hips. “So there’s a reason, right?”

That look again. Flynn pinched the bridge of his nose, not meeting Yuri’s eyes. “Only family members are allowed to share the Commandant’s quarters.”

Family, huh. Well, that definitely couldn’t apply to Yuri. Unless...oh. _Oh._

“I get it,” said Yuri, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk. The reaction made sense, now. “So if I wanted to live here, we would have to get married. Yeah, okay.”

For some reason, Flynn looked aghast, his face turning all sorts of interesting colors. Yuri snapped his fingers.

“Ah, right. I guess that’s supposed to be romantic.” This situation was getting weird; time to make his exit, especially if Flynn was going to get any more work done. Yuri waved his hand dismissively through the air. “Nevermind, forget I said anything. Be careful out there, alright?” And then he was gone.

* * *

 _Nevermind_? It was all Flynn could think about as they traveled, as much as he made sure to reserve a part of his mind for strategy on the battlefield. Forgetting what Yuri had said was out of the question. Those words followed him as he and the knights rode to the outskirts of the town late on the second day, echoing in his mind as he spoke with locals and compared recent reports of creature attacks with the markers on his map.

How, Flynn wondered, could he be so flippant about it? It _was_ Yuri, but still. Flynn had been surprised to find the man embracing the idea so willingly. Even _he_ hadn’t completely reconciled himself with the idea. He wished, sometimes, that he had Yuri’s ability to see things as so clear-cut. Did he actually realize the gravity of such a decision, or was it typical Yuri, leaping into things without thinking through how to live with it?

The monsters were large and fierce, with scythe-like claws that required discipline and agility to counter. Attacks had to be thought through carefully, as knights surrounded clusters of the beasts and struck from behind, guarding each other from the vicious claw swipes. Flynn called out orders whenever he felt it necessary, but for the most part everyone filled their roles with skill and efficiency. They had been trained well. This was good, because his mind was often far from the task at hand. Thoughts skittered around like water droplets on a hot stove, while his body went through the motions.

 _Guard._ Many of their friends said that he and Yuri acted like a married couple already. Or that they fought like one, anyway. _Advance._ But it would mean that the Knights—the Empire at large, in fact—would learn of the nature of their relationship. Not that it was necessarily a secret. He did try to keep his personal life discreet, however. _Slash._ Flynn wasn’t even sure if they _should_ make it official. Surely it required more thought. _Retreat._ So then why did his stomach do an odd little flip when he thought about being able to call Yuri his husband?

One of the monsters slashed down at him, and he raised his sword to block—one of the knights was there at his side, attacking it while its claws grappled with Flynn’s weapon. Even as he smiled tightly at the knight in thanks before he rushed off to the next creature, Flynn couldn’t help thinking that Yuri would have had it defeated before it had even had a chance to attack him. They were perfectly in tune during battle, watching each other’s moves and predicting where to go next before the other person even knew that they would end up there. Without ever really thinking about it—just knowing, reacting, trusting.

They fought for the better part of the day, fresh units relieving exhausted ones until all that was left on the field were the fallen beasts. Flynn hadn’t lost any knights, though several clutched wounds, wincing as preliminary treatment was done while others set up camp upwind of the battle site. For his own part, only a few bruises and shallow scratches marked his participation in the fighting. They had been lucky.

With the mission over, Yuri occupied nearly all of his thoughts as he went to sleep, and remained when they struck camp the next morning.

* * *

Flynn stumbled into his room around noon on the day of their return, bone weary. He removed his armor and clothing mechanically, slid into the bathroom and leaned against the door, taking a moment just to breathe. Then he stepped forward, reaching for the shower knob and turning it until the water sprayed hot and steam lingered in the air.

As he stood beneath it, the steady flow sloughed off the sweat and the dirt and the blood. Flynn briefly examined his new bruises, but mostly kept his eyes shut, taking in the warmth as it cleansed his mind as the water did for his body. Knots in his muscles slowly unwound—he focused on how the water hissed, making a crackling rhythm when it hit the shower floor.

Behind him, the door clicked. Flynn exhaled as arms snaked around his waist, crossing over his stomach and pulling him close. He wondered how he had thought the shower relaxing before, as the battle faded from his mind and was categorized into the things which were no longer important. Briefly touching where Flynn’s neck sloped into his shoulder, Yuri’s lips felt cool against his skin.

“Welcome back,” he said, and folded into those words were what Yuri communicated with touch and tone: _I love you. I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re safe._

Flynn wondered, then, what he could have possibly been so worried about. Yuri could be an exasperating, impulsive idiot sometimes, but he was also an anchor—steadfast, loyal and fiercely protective. Even in the times when their ideals and personalities clashed, Yuri was there to challenge him and always had his back.

“Thank you,” said Flynn, trusting that Yuri would get something of his thoughts in the simple phrase.

“Yeah, you can thank me by not hogging all of the water. I’m freezing over here.”

This earned him a splash from Flynn’s cupped hands, and Yuri said “oh, are you starting something?” as he loosened his grip around his waist. Flynn laughed, moving sideways and drawing Yuri into the spray. He was pretty sure that the castle clerks were going to yell at him again for how much hot water he was using.

They dozed for much of the afternoon, and in his moments of wakefulness Flynn had two thoughts: first, that there was no feeling quite like sliding between clean sheets after a shower. And for the second, that Yuri looked deceptively calm and innocent when asleep, curled against his chest, breathing evenly.

* * *

“Nope. You’re wrong.”

“Yes, you _would_ say that. If you had just asked someone when I told you to, we wouldn’t be—”

“If _I_ asked? Heh. What about if _you_ asked? Whatever, it doesn’t matter. We’re still just as lost.”

Flynn ran a hand over his face, sighing wearily. They had wandered the Public Quarter for a place to eat, eventually settling on a restaurant they had never seen before. Now, of course, they couldn’t find their way back, and all the people on the streets that they could have asked had disappeared over an hour ago. What an undignified situation for the Empire’s military leader to be in.

“We could always just knock on someone’s door,” Flynn suggested weakly, as much as the thought mortified him. Hello there, yes, I’m the Commandant; I seem to have lost my way. Yuri was apparently having a similar thought—his eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter.

“Yeah, I can see you doing that. Go right ahead.”

“This is so stupid, Yuri.” Flynn sighed. They could, of course, see glimpses of the castle between trees and buildings; you couldn’t miss it, being so high up on the hill on which Zaphias was built. Getting there through the maze of streets and alleys, though? That was another issue entirely. Flynn had thought he knew this city like the back of his hand, but apparently he wasn’t familiar enough with every neighborhood. The capital’s sprawl was extensive and especially confusing after dark.

The pair walked silently through the streets, Yuri seeming unfazed by the situation while Flynn’s inner sense of panic was building. Would they still be wandering when the sun came up, be forced to ask the first person they found awake how to get back to the castle? They turned a corner, faced with yet another unfamiliar street—but wait.

“This is the outskirts of the Lower Quarter,” said Flynn, quietly. Yuri nodded, recognizing it as well. They could find their way back from here, Flynn realized with an immense feeling of relief. Getting lost like that had made him feel like a child again, but at least he’d had Yuri there with him, keeping him calm and level-headed. He reached for his hand, squeezing it affectionately. They walked like that through the dark Lower Quarter streets, not caring if anyone saw them. Most of their old friends and neighbors in the quarter already knew, anyway.

On one street, Flynn stopped in front of a familiar building, staring at it as he released Yuri’s hand.

“What?”

“This is where we met.” Flynn turned, smiling a little wistfully. “Or close to it.”

“Huh.”

Yuri had been a sullen looking orphan boy, then—shades of who he would become had been there, but Flynn could never have guessed at the important role he would play in his life. Seeing the sarcasm, the nonchalance and the intensity in his nature had been easy. But over the years Flynn had been able to discover the gentle kindness that he was unable to hide around children, humility that he disguised with slightly arrogant bravado, a willingness to stop at nothing to protect the people that he loved. Especially, and always, Flynn.

He stepped forward, resting his hands at Yuri’s waist as dark eyes darted over to meet his.

“Marry me,” he said, voice low and serious. He could feel Yuri tense beneath his hands—from surprise, he hoped.

Yuri cleared his throat, but then he grinned, leaning his forehead against Flynn’s.

“I think you’re getting a little too used to giving orders, Commandant. Shouldn’t that be more of a question?”

Flynn couldn’t help smiling, himself. “Sorry. _Will_ you?”

Even though Yuri had been the one who acted so cavalier about the issue originally, Flynn felt his pulse race with anxiety in the deceptively long moment before Yuri responded.

“Yes,” he said, unusually solemn. The word hung between them, almost unreal. Then Yuri smirked, bringing a hand up to the back of Flynn’s neck and leaning in for a kiss. Flynn returned it happily, still a bit stunned.

“Man, I’m exhausted. Let’s go home.” Yuri turned to walk back down the streets they knew so well. It really would be his home before long, Flynn thought—both of theirs.

“Hey, Flynn.”

“Hm?”

“When we tell this story, don’t forget that I asked first.”

“What? No, you didn’t.”

“Hmph. Did you forget already?”

“Yuri, ‘yeah, okay’ hardly counts as a proposal.”

“Whatever. I was still the first one to bring it up.”

“No, I did. You asked why, and I said—”

“You couldn’t even say the word ‘marriage,’ man.”

Flynn heaved an exaggerated sigh, pushing Yuri’s shoulder playfully. He got pushed back, naturally, sending him staggering a few steps away. They were still arguing when they got back to the castle, but anyone who looked closely would see only laughter and contentment on their faces.  


**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ writing journal, October 16, 2009.


End file.
